1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a cartridge containing a recording medium, such as a compact disk, a photomagnetic disk, a phase change recording medium and a magnetic disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that there are two types of media in the aforementioned recording media: one is a single-sided recording medium, which has only one information recording surface, information being recorded thereon and reproduced therefrom; and the other is a double-sided recording medium, which has two information recording surfaces, information being recorded thereon and reproduced therefrom. The recording medium is housed in a cartridge in advance. The cartridge is inserted in a cartridge holding mechanism, e.g., a cartridge holder, of an information recording/reproducing apparatus, so that it can be placed at a load position, where information is recorded on or reproduced from the medium by a recording/reproducing mechanism, e.g., a recording/reproducing head.
The conventional information recording/reproducing apparatus is adapted for only one of a cartridge containing a single-sided recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a single-sided cartridge) and a cartridge containing a double-sided recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a double-sided cartridge). There has not been developed any practical recording/reproducing apparatus in which two types of cartridges, i.e., single-sided and double-sided cartridges, can be selectively loaded.
Therefore, it is possible that the single-sided cartridge is erroneously loaded into the recording/reproducing apparatus, with the non-recording surface directed to the side of the recording/reproducing mechanism. In this case, the following problems arise.
1. The cartridge is recognized to be improper, only when a recording or reproducing operation is performed after the single-sided cartridge is loaded in the recording/reproducing apparatus. Time is therefore inevitably wasted.
2. If a loading section, which is to be engaged with a rotation shaft of a spindle motor for rotating the recording medium, is not formed on the non-recording surface of the recording medium, the rotation shaft may be brought into contact with the recording medium. In this case, the medium or the spindle motor may be damaged. Further, since the opening of the cartridge is small, a cartridge shutter may abut on the spindle motor, so that the cartridge or the spindle motor may be damaged.
3. Excessive force is applied to a shutter opening mechanism of the cartridge, and the mechanism or the cartridge may be broken.